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Ohio should back marriage equality

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As I read
The Dispatch last week, I was struck by the number of letters discussing same-sex
marriages and the relative quality that they provide for raising children. Forget for the moment
that these questions are never asked when discussing legal recognition of other marriages.

Traditional couples, after all, can marry and raise children poorly with total freedom. Why are
we, as Ohioans, still having this debate? From my point of view, the issue at hand is equal
treatment under the law.

Gay men and women are American citizens and should be afforded the right to live their lives,
just as everyone else is. Regardless of one’s personal opinion or religious faith, I cannot
understand how anyone can support something as antithetical to American values as the prohibition
of fellow citizens to marry the person they love and raise a family.

It was a banner year for marriage equality in the United States. As we look ahead to 2014, let’s
accomplish what is long overdue and pass equal marriage legislation in Ohio.